Dan's Papers - April 10, 2009 - MCGINTEE OPTS OUT, DOESN'T DUCK & COVER

Finally, East Hampton Supervisor William McGintee made his decision not to run for a fourth term, saying, "Six years is enough." He admitted the last year had been tough on his wife, his family and him. In this down economy, with home prices in free fall and business falling off the cliff, McGintee became the easy target. The drum beating from certain quarters calling him a thief, a bum, corrupt and incompetent, hurt him during a time he was trying to "make the town I love a better place now and preserve it for the future."

So is he now just backing off from the vitriol? "I never walk away from a fight when I know I'm right," he said, "but it's time for someone else to take up the cause." McGintee sees a bonus with his decision not to run: "Now I can give what I know is the right medicine for the town, without worrying about the political consequences. I will address many of the problems - some of which were put in place by my predecessors. But I am going to take them on and solve them with the help of the Board. I am going to do what's right, not what's politically expedite."

Reflecting on his accomplishments, McGintee was most proud of the hundreds of acres of open land the town purchased that will help insure that East Hampton will retain its rural feel long after he's gone. "I made mistakes, but I did a lot of good things, like helping the farmers," said McGintee. He expressed thanks to all the board members he worked with over the last 5 1/2 years, saying, "We were always civil, and doing what we thought was best for the town, even when we disagreed." He expressed joy that the project of converting historic buildings that might have been lost will soon be finished and functional as Town Hall facilities before his successor takes office, boasting that the atrium (the huge glass structure that will bridge all the buildings together) would be going up shortly. He hopes to put a process of home assessment in place to update a formula assuring that everyone pays his fair share of Town real estate taxes. Amazingly, due to huge properties staying in the same families for decades, a disparity between the true value of the home and the taxes payed has become the norm. "I intend to start the reassessment process before I leave office," said McGintee. "I don't intend to be a lame duck, and in fact I may be more vocal. I will continue to serve the community, but I will not be like some other former supervisors who have not been helpful."

With decorum, McGintee joked about the Republican candidate for supervisor, "He's a fine man, but East Hampton isn't Disney. This is not a corporation where you can just cut jobs." He didn't exactly say he thought the Republican candidate wasn't up to the job, but he inferred it. Then he spoke about how wonderful his wife had been when things got rough. He hinted that a large part of his decision was to spare her from a tough campaign.

It was obvious William McGintee believes he knows what needs to be done and how to do it, but that he would probably not win an election under the weight of the present climate concerning the $9.5 million deficit the town ran up that happened the year he ran for re-election. The opposition made it seem like McGintee had the money in his freezer, when in fact, as Southampton Supervisor Linda Kabot, with her own $4.9-$6 million deficit is learning, strange things happen in down economies.

McGintee always listened to all sides but his opposition painted his style of leadership as combatant when they didn't get their way. He reflected, "I have regrets, I made mistakes, but I always was trying to do what was best for the town. A former Town Supervisor once told me, 'Every time I made a difficult decision I upset lots of people.' Over time it added up. I could see it, I could feel it. It hurt, it hurt a lot, but I know I made the right decisions and when I knew I couldn't win I didn't run."

So who does McGintee want to see move into his office? "I like Ben Zwirn, he's capable, talented, and if he gets nominated by the party I think he will be the best candidate," he said. Zwirn is currently a top aide to Suffolk County Executive. He was also a two-term town supervisor for North Hempstead. East Hampton's Democratic leader, Bill Taylor has reportedly called Zwirn, "A very impressive guy."

When all is said and done, McGintee hopes to be remembered as someone "who wanted to keep East Hampton, East Hampton; preserve the way if feels, the way it looks, the way it is."